Poration



"Jan. 17, 1928. 5 7

P. E. BRENEMAN TOP CONSTRUCTION Filed March 17, 1926 ATTORNEY and, noveldesign, which will be light in Patented Jan. 17, 1928,

UNITED STATES PATENT orF cE.

PAUL E. BRENEMAN, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE STUDEBAKER COB-POBA'I'ION, 'OFSOUTH BEND, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

TO]? CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed March 17, 19262 Serial No. 95,314.

This invention relates to vehicle tops 0 the permanent type, andparticularly to side,

rail constructions therefor, the main object being to provide such aconstructlon of new weight, easy to assemble and economical tomanufacture. r

Another object is to provide a permanent type vehicle top with a siderail constructed of a sheet metal base and a. sheet, metal contouredmember, to both of which is secured a wooden tacking member.

Another object is to provide a vehicle top side rail comprising asuitably reinforced sheet metal base and a contoured member rolled toether along their. outer edges and secured along their-inner edges to acommon tacking strip.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the sameconsists of certain features of construction and combinations of partsto be hereinafter described with. reference to the accompanying drawing,and then claimed, having the above and other objects in view.

In the accompanying drawing which il-.

lustrates a suitable embodiment of the pres ent invention and in whichlike numerals refer to like views: 1 y

, Figure 1 is a partial perspective view of, a vehicle body having, a,top incorporating the features of thepresent invention, assem-1 partsthroughout the several bled thereon. I

,Figure 2 is. an enlarged sectional view taken through one of the siderails and longitudinally through one of the cross struts. m

Figure 3 is an enlarged perspective view taken transversely through oneof the side,

rails ata point adjacenta cross-strut;

Figure 4 is a perspective sectional view of a modification ofthe siderail shown in Figures 2 and 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken trans.

. shown in Figure 4:, and longitudinally through one of the crossstruts,showing the connection therebetween.

Figure 6 is a cross sectional v1ew of one of the cross strutsillustrated in the several I preceding views. a

The top, in general, comprises those elements which are common to mostof the conventional types, namely, side rails 10, a front .55 crosspiece 11, a rear cross piece 12 and cross-struts 13 spanning the spacebetween theside rails 10. These elements are first assembled to completethe top structure and then attached to the vehicle body by suitableextends upwardly a slight distance and fiangesoutwardly to provide thesubstanti ally horizontal portion 21 which terminates in an upwardlyextending marginal flange or leg 22.

The cross-struts 13 previously mentioned extend at regularly spacedintervals from o one 'side'rail 10 to the other and'may be trough shapedin form, each being stamped in one operation from a. single sheet ofmetal, rendering a very light, efiicient and economical construction.The ends of each cross- 35 strut 13 are preferably welded to the topface of the flangeltl.

Although not essential, it is desirable to provide reinforcing means toprovide additional strength to the base member sub stantially atthepoint where the cross-struts 13 are secured thereto. This may beobtained by providing suitable. reinforcing members such as the Z-shapedreinforcing bars 23 made of strap iron, but may be of anyother'practical shape or material. The Z-shaped bar 23 is more adaptedto the pres ent construction as oneleg may be conveni ently secured tothe horizontal. portion 21 and the other leg thereof' may be conveniitsently secured (preferably welded), to the horizontal flange l9 and tothe bottom of the trough portion of the cross-strut 13.

abutting against the ends of the crossstruts 13 or in close proximitythereto is a longitudinal wooden tacking member 24, portions being cutaway on the under surface thereof to allow the same to flt over andaround the reinforcing bars 23 and to lie flatly on the flange 19. Nailsor screws such as 25 passing through the flange 19 may be provided tosecurely hold thetacking member 24 in a rigidly fixed position.

In order to impart a finished appearance 7 to the rail as thus fardescribed, and to give it added strength, a contoured member 26g:

also formed of sheet metal, is provided to concealcthese parts and tolend shape and strength to the side rail 10. For the most part, it-has aconvex outer surface 27 formed with a trough-shaped outer edgecomprising a flat portion 28 and an upwardly extending flange 29, theinner edge 30 beingsuitably secured by nails 31 orthelike to the uppersurface of the tacking strip 24 and the flange 29 abutting against themarginal flange 22 of the horizontal portion 21. The upper edge of thismarginal flange 22 is bent back on itself to clamp the flange 29therebetween, thereby holding the base member and contoured member 26firmly secured together along their respective outer edges and formingthe trough 32.

Vehicle tops used previous to this time were usually provided with adrip trough in combination with a suitable molding to catch the waterand rain which fell from the top and convey it to the rear end thereofto discharge it. The trough 32 eliminates the need of providing thisadditional trough and molding, thereby making it a very economicalconstruction.

Any desirable top material such as 33 may be provided to cover the topand may be secured thereto by tacking it to the tacking strip 24, amolding 34 being nailed thereto to conceal the edge'of the top materialand i 'to conceal the edge 30 of the contoured member 26.

In Figures 4* and 5 a slight modification of the side rail 10 justdescribed is illustrated. This side rail comprises essentially the sameelements, namely, a contoured member 40 of substantially the same shapeand construction, a base, a tacking strip 42, reinforcing members 43 andcross-struts 44, all of which are assembled in a slightly differentmanner. 7

The base is shaped from sheet metal to provide a pair of downwardlyconverging surfaces 45 and 46 which meet in a longitudinal door stopprojection 47,. similar to the v door stop projection 17 of Figure 3.The

inner edge of the surface 46is turned upwardly to form the face 48 andthen turned neeexrao inwardly to form the inner marginal flange 49. Theouter edge of the surface 45 is bent upwardly to provide the marginalflange 50 which is bent back on itself over the marginal flange 51 ofthe contoured member 40 thereby to secure it to the same and to providethe trough 52 which functions the same as the trough 32 of thepreviously described side rail 10.

The tacking'member is secured by bolts such as 53 to the face 48substantially flush withthc flange 49 and the flanges 54 of thecross-strut 4 4 are preferably welded to the undersurface of the flange49 as shown in Figure 5. The reinforcing members 43 are isuitably shapedto be secured to the sloping surface 45, to partially support thetacking member 42 and to be secured to the under surface of the bottomof the cross-struts 44. Although not'shown, suitable top ,covering and amolding are provided in a way similar to that illustrated in Figures 2and 3.

Certain advantages of the present invention can be seen over the type oftop "side railheretofore used. It can be seen that the side rails asillustrated and described herein may beeasily and economically produced,especially in large quantities,'that they are simple in construction andlight in weight, and that they can be assembled very economically andeasily.

Formal changes may be made in the "specific embodiment of the inventiondescribed without departing from the spirit and substance of the broadinvention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

. 1. In a vehicle top of the permanent type, side rails comprisingcontoured members and sheet metal base members, each base member havinga vertical-portion and an inwardly extending flange formed'at the upperedge of said portion, Z-shaped reinforcing members extendingtransverselyof said base member and inwardly therefrom secured to theupper face thereof, channel-shaped cross-struts holdingsaid side railsin spaced relationship, the bottom face of the base sheet metal basemembers secured together at their outer edges, each base member having ahorizontal portion, a vertical portion extending upwardly from saidhorizontal portion, and a second horizontal portion extending inwardlyfrom the upper edge of said vertical portion, cross-struts eachhavingthe base thereof secured to said lastnamed horizontal portion ofsaid base member, Z-shaped reinforcing members extending transversely ofsaid base member secured to said horizontal portions thereof and to saidcr0ss-struts, and a Wooden tacking strip secured adjacent the free edgeof each of said base members and to the free edge of each of saidcontoured members, said tacking strip being of greater depth 10 thansaid cross-struts.

Signed by me at Detroit, Michigan, U. S. A., this 12th day of March,1926.

a PAUL E. BRENEMAN.

